Who had a paper round?

photo source:  Memory Lane UK https://www.facebook.com/Memory-Lane-UK-408060289608201/

Dennis Torrance… My paper round was for Mitchell s queens road hell of a round all weathers got papers of train first then the delivery s. So cold some mornings wet but Christmas time tips was amazing. I remember the carrying sack so heavy and bike ride home and school. I also remember my paper bag not water prove soaked papers sometimes papers soggy trying to push them into the doors falling apart lol and getting on my bike fast getaway. I did get many compliments lol. 18 shillings and sixpence a week I got and many a puncture in my tyres.

John Warner… one paper round, I had a morning paper round, an evening paper round, a Sunday paper round when I collected the money. I also had a shoe delivery round and a grocery delivery round. I was one busy kid.

Pete Prescott… 1968/69.Teynham in north Kent. It was dark when I started. I was so frightened. On my first day the wind took a lot of papers out of my hand am blew them across the front of several houses.i thought it was the end ! I got £1 per week. If I was out when I had collected the money on the Saturday it came out of my wages. One time I was £1.50 out so worked three weeks for nothing. It was a long round. I ended up In Lynsted lane. It took an hour and a half (In all weather’s) then I went to school. I ended up asking my friend Mick Deane to help. We got 50p each. If I then walked to school I saved the bus fare. I could then buy records or (gasp !) Levi jeans!

Lloyd Johnson… 1950s.I had a morning round ,an evening round and Saturday round for Gladwish’s in Ore,Hastings.The morning round was right out in Pett Village across fields over fences to farm yards and vicarages, lovely in the summer but the winter was awful and all before school.

Jeff Belton… My paper round was some of the roads in Blackfen / Sidcup Kent areas in the late mid 1970’s . Quiet along round. Sunday was the worst day , because mags and leaflets came with the papers so it made the bag heavy. Nice reward at the end of the year when I was allowed to pick an annual I would like. Was paid £10 for doing the round.

Nigel Sherwood… Worked for Crowthers on Queens road , worked at Helens road , up all the steps to the front doors . Times an telegraph’s on a Sunday used to be murder with all their supplements , good Christmas tips though !

Terry Pack… I had a daily round and two Sunday rounds from WHSMITH at Bexhill Station. The Sunday rounds took two hours to complete. We had to be at the station to meet the mail train at 6:30 and assemble our own rounds. I had a Smiths bike with huge panniers. I did the rounds from 1969 to 1974.

Chris Giles… No girls in that photo !!!! But I did one …My paper round was a Sunday one battle road. Blackman ave, Coventry road, Oxford Road, Lewis Road, Bristol road… Those Sunday papers were heavy and I had to collect money….did cover daily rounds in the school holidays though….Harrow lane, silverhill ave … old roar road sedlescombe road north …worked for Mercers

Mick O’Dowd… I had a round in the 60’s out of the shop in Ore opp. the clinic. Had the biggest round and was split into 2 .First was up to Down’s Farm and Fairlight Rd and then up The Ridge. I had a bike but it was still HEAVY. Couldn’t do it today as the supplements weren’t invented then.I was paid the highest pay in the shop at £1 per week!

Alan Esdaile… Did a Sunday round for Franks newsagent on the west hill, also helped out on a butchers round on a Saturday. People were so trusting in those days. They would leave the key under the mat for you to collect the money from the kitchen table, with a glass of orange for you.

Geoff Peckham… I did a round for Mr Crump at Glyne Gap in the 60s from the age of 13. It was quite a big one stretching 2/3rds up De La Warr Rd and roads off it. I remember entering the smoke-filled shop at 6:30 as he was marking up the papers, chain-smoking. I got 12/6 a week, but in the summer holidays I sometimes hopped on the milk float after my round and helped the milkman finish his round for a few extra bob.

Jeanette Jones… I used to cover for my brother when he was too sick to do his. Mr Franks on the West Hill too. Those Sunday papers were hard work!

Tim Moose Bruce… Did paper round for Cheal’s in Little Common. Started in 73. £1.25 a week for Mon to Sat. Did evening chemist round for £1 a week Mon to Sat.

Clive Wiltshire… Gosh, I too had a paper round from the newsagents at the top of Queens road…I believe it was Crowthers.…

Lyn Humphrey… I did Bexhill seafront and Cornwall & Park Road in late ’60s, early ’70s. £1 a week, from Stanford’s Newsagents in Wickham Avenue. Used to swap some papers with Jeremy Maynard, to save us both a longer trek! And I got to read all the important football & boxing reports from every paper!

Mike Curtis…  I did Round 3 for Rickards for a while – London Road Bexhill, Havelock Road, Cambridge Road, Hillside Road. Just a few deliveries in each road. Then I got Round 17 – Watermill Lane, out to Henley Down. 17/6 a week Monday to Saturday, and 5/- for the Sunday. They all had big heavy papers on that round – Telegraph, Times, FT etc. Bag weighed a ton. Always seemed to be raining………….

Dennis Torrance… I think these paper rounds sought of got us prepared for a working life was hard work . I also remember most of time papers late train arrival lol makes a change and then. Peddling like mad and trying to get to school on time

Patrick Lewis… I did a round for Godfrey’s in Blackman Ave for nearly 4 years – covering Blackman Ave, Marline Rd, Oxford Road, Lewis Road, Bristol Road etc.

Martyn Baker… Nope. I liked my bed too much I think.

Tim Moose Bruce… I still got an Observer colour supplement somewhere. Front cover had a pic of Jon Anderson from Yes. It had an article about his album The Olias Of Sunhillow.

Neal Hunter… I had a morning round from St George’s road to Malvern way and an evening round from the town centre to Warrior Square as well as a Saturday butchers round from Priors butchers in Vicarage road.

Dave Nattress… I did a weekday round in Cooden from about 1966 when I was 13 for about 3 years until I started full time work. For a while I did the papers as well as work. In those days in Cooden, Kewhurst Avenue, Withyam Road and Gilham Wood Road were unmade and muddy and full of potholes. Well we still have the potholes. I also did Clavering Walk, Maple Walk etc. Christmas tips were very good in that area! I do remember going to the station dead early like Terry Pack mentioned meeting the paper train and collecting the shop’s papers. All the local newsagents were there and they were a friendly, merry, comical bunch, then back to the shop to help make up the rounds. All before school. Winters could be hard!! Worked in the shop in Little Common Saturday mornings. More recently my Son,now 19 at medical school did a round in Little Common as did then my youngest daughter, now 18. Both needed a bit of help on occasions, so there I was fully 50 odd years later back on the papers!! You could say I hadn’t got far in my career progression!! Eventually work took me all over and I would leave Bexhill early, crazily early, and even now I’m usually up anytime after 5.00am. All down to the paper round. Happy days and never short of money though. Levi 501’s about £3 odd from Peter Jackson on the corner of Wickham Avenue – a bit more than a weeks’s money.

Yvonne Cleland… Did several paper rounds for Hobbs in Norman Road, St. Leonards. I preferred the Warrior Square round. On paydays (Sundays) I used to get our dog, go and get my money and the Sunday papers, and sit in Warrior Square Gardens. Only in the summer though.

Alan Pepper… My round in the early Seventies was for Godfrey’s in Blackman Avenue covering the Hollington area on my bike . I was finishing as my friends were going to school so was always a bit late but great memories . Can’t remember how much I was paid though . I remember a Hattie Jacques lookalike coming to the door in her frilly nightie ! Haunts me to this day .

Clifford Rose… I did a Monday to Saturday paper round in the early 70s in the Manor Rd area for 80p a week. I also did a paper round for the free paper Hastings Herald which used to take two evenings a week to complete.

Derek Johnson… I had a round to do near London Road in Brighton it was very eerie then I would go into the flats and everything would echo, seemed very loud. In fact I had two rounds in morning and one in the evening.

Chris Meachen… Had a weekday one that I did before school, used to get told off for reading a blokes ‘melody maker’ before I put it in his letterbox..

Pete Fairless… I did St Helen’s Road and got caught a few times reading ‘Big Al’, Alan Jensen’s

Vic Williams… My brother had a paper round and used to “ deliver” papers to the fairground people when they were behind the elephant and castle burseldon. They only wanted the Sunday times. !!! Never judge a book by its cover eh ?

Pauline Richards… Did teatime round for beneys hughenden rd. But my dad took me in the car more often than not

Josie Lawson…  Yes took over from children as they got bored

John Warner… Wow, did I have a paper round? I had a morning paper round, an evening paper round and a Sunday paper round. On Sunday I also collected the money. On Friday night I delivered groceries on a delivery bike and on Saturdays delivered shoes back to customers for the cobbler. Busy boy.

David Edwards… I did seven days a week for the paper shop in Mount Road, 2shillings and 6pence for Monday to Friday, 5 shillings for Saturday and 7 shillings and 6 pence for Sunday and a two bob bonus if you weren’t late through the week. Sometimes the papers were late arriving at the station so Ken’s sister used to make us bacon sandwiches so we didn’t miss our breakfast for school. He was a big fat and mostly jolly man who was a very enlightened employer. When I left school and started my apprenticeship I earned £3/15/9 a week and I kept my Saturday and Sunday round on and boosted my earnings by 12/6 a week big bucks! This was from ’64 / ’68

Kay Green… Mee! Maynards in Silverhill, then a long the road about to the other newsagents called er…. er….. I did, anyway.

Trisha Richardson… Milk round

Wendy Hodgson… I had a paper round for 5 years  started at 12 and did till i was 17 and at college.  I’m a girl and i can say there were awful mornings i was out at 5.30 and i can tell you the odd car flasher was a bit hair raising.  I of course complained to my paper shop but carried on,  i did a massive paper round.  Smith down road Arundel avenue and all the side roads,  ending up at ullet road, old folks home by 7.20  then rush home to get my breakie and be ready for school and out by 8 15.  Another walk through rain sun snow hail and my wellie boots soaked in and out some times. Never missed a day of school unless i had some real bad sickness kids get but even that didn’t happen. Stupid thing was i was only one out of 6 kids to work  as well as paper rounds did hedge cutting,  clearing paths in snow and baby sitting so worked always and still do. Stupid thing was my parents didn’t ensintivate me they stopped my pocket money .Didn’t stop me working though and i can say that  i am the only child of 6 that has always worked including during all of my marriage .I am a maternity nurse now in the private sector,  today i met a young man who does a paper round  gets up at 6am  does 1 mile 2 roads and gets £50 yes £50 per week  (cost of living risen) and he thinks he’s working hard. Also a lot of kids with paper rounds talk about bikes, i walked it, weighed down with all those papers. My biggest tip was an old gentleman at the old folks home in ullet road,  he was always waiting for me with a kind smile and a cheery word of encouragement. Ah those were the days kids were allowed to get some money but today they are far to mollycoddled and its all coming from parents whom are always still working hard giving constant hand me outs and then doing without. Let kids do stuff if they want to. Then work experience would be far more than the todays depending on parents  always taking but not knowing how to give back .

Pete Houghton… I did paper rounds First for WH Smiths at Bexhill Station when I was at School Then in the ninetys for Candy Corner in Sidley

Chris Giles… I had a paper round I did every Sunday …and had to collect money from people too…their weekly bills for the newspapers they’d had delivered during the week….I used to do a weekly paper round in the school holidays for other paper girls/boys who went on holiday

Jeff Belton… I had a paper round during my 6 weeks summer holiday from school. Mon to Sun. Start at 06:00 to 08:00 am. Five roads in Sidcup Kent. All on foot.

Elaine Stock… I did a paper round once I was 13, every night after school and a double round on Sunday morning, I think some people just read newspapers all day on a Sunday!!

Conan Howard… my local paper shop blew away in the gales of the 80s

Paul Huggett… Wasn’t much call for it on Romney Marsh. Miles between houses, and half the population couldn’t read anyway!

Graham Matthews… Paul, Baaaa!

John Warner… Paper round, I had a morning round, an evening round, a Sunday round on which I collected the money. On Friday night I delivered groceries and on Saturday delivered shoes that the local cobbler had repaired.

Derek Johnson… Morning and evening rounds in Brighton,some of the addresses were very dark and eerie. Probably think twice in today’s climate lol.

5 thoughts on “Who had a paper round?”

  1. Gosh, I too had a paper round from the newsagents at the top of Queens road…I believe it was Crowthers.

    That would have been in the mid-sixties and my round was most of St.Helen’s Road…it was a flippin nightmare.

    7 days a week for 16 shillings and a million steep steps to each front door.

    Reply
  2. I did Bexhill seafront and Cornwall & Park Road in late ’60s, early ’70s. £1 a week, from Stanford’s Newsagents in Wickham Avenue. Used to swap some papers with Jeremy Maynard, to save us both a longer trek! And I got to read all the important football & boxing reports from every paper!

    Reply
  3. I did a weekday round in Cooden from about 1966 when I was 13 for about 3 years until I started full time work. For a while I did the papers as well as work. In those days in Cooden, Kewhurst Avenue, Withyam Road and Gilham Wood Road were unmade and muddy and full of potholes. Well we still have the potholes. I also did Clavering Walk, Maple Walk etc. Christmas tips were very good in that area! I do remember going to the station dead early like Terry Pack mentioned meeting the paper train and collecting the shop’s papers. All the local newsagents were there and they were a friendly, merry, comical bunch, then back to the shop to help make up the rounds. All before school. Winters could be hard!! Worked in the shop in Little Common Saturday mornings.

    More recently my Son,now 19 at medical school did a round in Little Common as did then my youngest daughter, now 18. Both needed a bit of help on occasions, so there I was fully 50 odd years later back on the papers!! You could say I hadn’t got far in my career progression!! Eventually work took me all over and I would leave Bexhill early, crazily early, and even now I’m usually up anytime after 5.00am. All down to the paper round. Happy days and never short of money though. Levi 501’s about £3 odd from Peter Jackson on the corner of Wickham Avenue – a bit more than a weeks’s money.

    Reply
  4. My round in the early Seventies was for Godfrey’s in Blackman Avenue covering the Hollington area on my bike . I was finishing as my friends were going to school so was always a bit late but great memories . Can’t remember how much I was paid though . I remember a Hattie Jacques lookalike coming to the door in her frilly nightie ! Haunts me to this day .

    Reply

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